Google will begin moving Local Services Ads campaigns for selected U.S. home and storefront service advertisers into Google Ads in August 2026, a change that could affect how local service businesses manage paid leads, budgets and reporting.
The first phase includes categories such as plumbing, HVAC, electrical, appliance repair, house cleaning, lawn care, roofing, pest control and moving. Google says broader advertiser groups will follow in late 2026, with non-U.S. accounts and remaining categories moving in 2027.
For small and mid-size service businesses that rely on Google for calls and messages, the shift is not just an interface change. Google is automatically migrating existing Local Services Ads campaigns into a specialized Performance Max campaign type with pay-per-lead goals inside Google Ads. That means businesses that have managed leads in the separate Local Services Ads dashboard will need to prepare for new workflows inside Google Ads.
Google describes the move as “a more integrated, self-service experience inside the Google Ads platform,” while saying the pay-per-lead model will remain in place.
What is changing
The biggest operational change is where campaigns and leads are managed. After migration, businesses will manage budgets, lead replies, targeting settings and campaign controls inside Google Ads instead of the standalone Local Services Ads dashboard.
Once an account is migrated, the old Local Services Ads dashboard will redirect to Google Ads. Google says advertisers will receive an email 14 days before migration, another reminder seven days later and a confirmation after migration.
Search Engine Journal summarized the practical impact as a move toward one central place to manage campaigns and leads, while also noting that the migration changes bidding, reporting and account management workflows.
That distinction matters for local companies that depend on consistent lead flow. A plumber, roofer, cleaner, mover or pest control company may still receive leads through Google, but the person responsible for marketing will need to know where to find settings, reports and incoming customer activity after the move.
What is not changing
Google says the fundamentals of Local Services Ads will stay the same. Businesses will still pay for valid leads, including calls and messages. Ads will still appear on Google Search and Google Maps. Targeting will remain keywordless and based on service categories and service areas.
That continuity is important for service businesses that do not manage keyword campaigns day to day. The migration does not mean every advertiser must suddenly build traditional keyword lists for these campaigns. Google’s stated plan is to keep the Local Services Ads model centered on valid leads and service-based targeting, while moving campaign management into Google Ads.
Where SMBs can get caught off guard
The most urgent issue is reporting. Google says prior campaign-level performance reports will not carry over after migration. Businesses that want access to historical campaign reporting need to download or export those reports before their migration date.
Google says past customer lead history will transfer to the new Lead Manager interface, including contact details, messages and older call recordings. But campaign-level performance reports are a separate matter, and Google says they will not carry over.
Bidding is another area to review. Manual bidding and vertical-level Target CPA are being deprecated. If a business previously used different Target CPA amounts for different service categories under one campaign, Google will calculate a single campaign-level Target CPA unless the advertiser separates those services into different campaigns.
That could matter for businesses whose services vary widely in value or competitiveness. For example, a company running multiple service categories under one campaign may need to review whether those services should remain together or be split into separate campaigns before or during the transition.
Budgets will also be translated into a different format. Google says weekly budgets will be converted to daily average budgets by dividing the historical weekly budget by 7. Google says monthly spend will be capped at the daily average budget multiplied by 30.4.
For businesses that think in weekly lead budgets, that conversion should be checked carefully. A daily average may look different in the Google Ads interface, even if it is based on the previous weekly amount.
Google says many ads may start running right away after migration, but advertisers should allow up to two weeks for migration and performance to stabilize.
Action checklist for local service businesses
Before the migration email arrives, businesses that depend on Local Services Ads should take several practical steps.
First, export historical performance reports from the current Local Services Ads dashboard. Since Google says prior campaign-level performance reports will not carry over, this is the step most likely to create a permanent reporting gap if missed.
Second, review service categories and service areas. Targeting will remain keywordless and based on categories and areas, so those settings should reflect the jobs a business actually wants and the locations it can serve profitably.
Third, check the budget conversion. A weekly budget will become a daily average budget by dividing by 7, with monthly spend capped at the daily average multiplied by 30.4. Owners and managers should compare the new daily number against their expected monthly lead budget.
Fourth, confirm lead routing for calls and messages. Since businesses will still pay for valid leads such as calls and messages, missed or poorly routed inquiries can still waste opportunity even if the billing model stays familiar.
Fifth, review Target CPA settings. Businesses that previously used different Target CPA amounts for different service categories under one campaign should understand that Google will calculate a single campaign-level Target CPA unless services are split into separate campaigns.
Sixth, update the Google Business Profile and review structured callouts. The migration is a good time to make sure business information and service presentation are current, especially if BBB callouts need to be replaced with other structured callouts.
Why the migration matters for lead flow
For many local service companies, paid leads are not an abstract marketing channel. They are the phone calls, quote requests and booked jobs that fill the calendar. A platform migration can create risk if reports are lost, budgets are misunderstood or bidding settings are left on autopilot without review.
The move into Google Ads may give advertisers one place to manage campaigns and leads, but it also requires local businesses to pay attention before their dashboard changes. The safest approach is to treat the migration as a marketing operations deadline: back up data, verify settings and understand how budgets and bidding will work after the account moves.
For service businesses already struggling with a lack of clients, too few leads or too many unqualified leads, the goal is simple: do not let an account migration interrupt the pipeline.
FAQ
When does the Local Services Ads migration begin?
Google says migration begins in August 2026 for selected U.S. home and storefront service advertisers, with broader advertiser groups following in late 2026 and additional accounts in 2027.
Will businesses still pay only for leads?
Google says businesses will continue to pay for valid leads such as calls and messages, and ads will still appear on Google Search and Google Maps.
What should businesses export before migration?
Businesses should download or export historical campaign-level performance reports before their migration date, because Google says those reports will not carry over.
